Trick Summary []
Force talking will lock down a blue circle NPC into inaction, even when attacked. Also known as fake talking and talk locking.
Games It Works In[]
Baldur's Gate I - Yes
Baldur's Gate II - Yes
Icewind Dale I - Yes
Icewind Dale II - Yes
Planescape: Torment - Yes
Method And Explanation[]
When an NPC has a blue circle (meaning they are neutral and not immediately hostile), pause, talk to them, then give a different command (like move to a different location) and unpause. The NPC will be waiting for your character to talk to them, and will not perform any action until one round goes by. You can repeat talking to them as many times as desired. This can be used to kill the most powerful enemies in the game with no resistance, as long as they are initially neutral (blue circle).
Also note that this glitch instantly rotates the targetted NPC to face the talk-locking character, which may be helpful in setting up a backstab.
Notable Speedrunning Applications[]
- Killing various bosses (Bohdi, Sarevok, Aran Linvail, Gaelan Bayle, etc.)
- Running past NPCs that would otherwise delay you (e.g. the dryads and shadow thief in Irenicus's lair)
- Skipping the Severed Hand cutscene in Icewind Dale 1
- Protecting the Dukes from the Arrows of Detonation in the Duchal Palace (current Baldur's Gate ToSC multi segment route)